We asked freelance Property Writer Jayne Dowle to give us her insights into commuting to the capital from Norfolk. Having written for The Sunday Times, Grand Designs, House Beautiful and The Times, Jayne knows how to spot the best bits of any area.
By Jayne Dowle https://bit.ly/2uJaU6R
For all of its sense of splendid isolation, it’s possible to live in Norfolk and commute to London — especially now improved Wi-Fi and flexible working allows people to split their working week between countryside and capital, and average train journey times from Norwich, King’s Lynn and Diss are less than two hours.
Some Norfolk-based commuters leave on Monday and come back Friday; others work at home two or three days and stay in London for a couple of nights.
If you’re keen to explore this kind of working arrangement, it’s essential to choose the right town or village – see our suggestions below – with the kind of home you’re looking for and within easy drive of the station.
And don’t forget your arrival destination – it’s either Liverpool Street or Kings Cross. Look for ease of use and decent Tube, bus or cycle connections to the office. Both Great Northern and Greater Anglia train operators accept bikes, but with conditions.
Loddon
Station: Norwich to Liverpool Street
Distance to station: 12 miles, 25 minutes*
If waterside living appeals, this busy little market town is a staging post to the Norfolk Broads. It sits on the River Chet, a tributary of the River Yare. The name ‘Lodden’ means ‘muddy river’ in Celtic, and the area is rich in Norfolk history.
There’s a marina where you can moor your own boat and it’s only 20 minutes’ drive to the beach at Gorleston-on-Sea. There’s also Wherryman’s Way, a footpath and cycleway to Great Yarmouth, some interesting shops and The Swan, a ‘proper’ pub serving locally-sourced dishes.
Loddon has a good range of properties, including Georgian terraces in the town centre, traditional Edwardian houses with good-sized gardens and some impressive new-build family homes.
Mulbarton
Station: Norwich to Liverpool Street
Distance to station: 6 miles, 18 minutes
Hugely popular with young families and no wonder – it’s surrounded by great countryside for walks and there’s even a duck pond. This medium-sized village has a healthy ‘good life’ vibe; The Paddock Farm Shop stocks local fresh fruit and vegetables and flour from Letheringsett Watermill, Norfolk’s only flour-producing watermill, perfect for home-baked bread. In the village centre, find 19th century period properties and new-builds springing up on the outskirts.
Wymondham
Station: Norwich to Liverpool Street
Distance to station: 10.6 miles, 25 minutes
It’s known for good local schools – state boarding secondary Wymondham College is Ofsted-rated Outstanding and takes day pupils. However, literary lovers might consider moving to this market town just for Ketts bookshop. This community-owned enterprise run by volunteers promises to order virtually any book, usually for next-day delivery.
There’s a strong community spirit; lots of arty events, including the Wymondham Music Festival, and the Station Bistro, which has breathed new life into the local train station with its classic railway décor and evening specials.
Wymondham was largely destroyed by fire in the 17th century and although there you’ll find the odd Jacobean gem, most of the town centre properties are Georgian.
Stanhoe
Station: King’s Lynn to Kings Cross
Distance to station: 19.3 miles, 28 minutes
People have been known to move to this small village just to be in striking distance of The Duck Inn – with its splendid duck pond adjacent. This renowned gastropub has won numerous awards and serves local specialities such as Brancaster crab, Norfolk mussels and beef from the Holkham Estate.
There’s a thriving Women’s Institute (WI), and regular events in the licensed Village Hall & Reading Rooms, including film shows, flower shows and craft fairs. Many of the properties are very traditional, built from flint, chalk, and brick and roofed with curved red tiles.
North and South Creake
Station: King’s Lynn to Kings Cross
Distance to station: 22.5 miles, 42 minutes (North Creake) 23.3 miles, 41 minutes (South Creake)
Only a few miles from the coast at Brancaster and Wells-next-the-Sea – you’ll pass fashionable Burnham Market on the way or could easily detour to the Earl of Leicester’s magnificent Holkham Hall and Estate nearby – North and South Creake sit in the valley of the River Burn.
Of the two, South Creake is perhaps the better-known, as the medieval Catholic church of Our Lady Saint Mary was much admired by Sir John Betjeman. Both villages share social events and activities, such as the celebrated Creakes Drama Group, which has won numerous regional theatre awards. There are some beautiful traditional village houses in the local mellow brick, often with period features such as stone floors and beams intact.
Binham
Station: King’s Lynn to Kings Cross
Distance to station: 32.1 miles, 53 minutes
There’s a wonderful sense of tranquillity in this traditional village, thanks in impressive part to the 12th century Benedictine Priory, now managed by English Heritage and one of the most intact religious sites in Norfolk.
The coastal village of Binham is also just a 10-minute drive to the pilgrimage shrine of Walsingham and only a few miles from the super-smart seaside location of Blakeney.
In Binham itself, there is an excellent corner shop and a friendly (to newcomers and their dogs) local pub, The Chequers. There’s also a raw milking vending machine at the Little Dairy Shop, where customers can fill up with super-fresh milk almost straight from the cow. Authentic brick and flint cottages are hugely popular; there is also some new-build development.
Starston
Station: Diss to Liverpool Street
Distance to station: 12.4 miles, 28 minutes
Looking for peace and quiet? This very pretty traditional village basks in a gentle way of life. At the centre of things is Jubilee Hall, home to pub nights, folk music concerts, sales and local interest talks. Run by parish councillors, the Jubilee Hall also oversees Glebe Meadow, a two-acre community green space in the centre of the village where fireworks displays and dog shows are held.
There are some lovely traditional timber-framed 17th-century houses in the village centre and a little further out, substantial period properties and farmsteads.
Banham
Station: Diss to Liverpool Street
Distance to station: 7.4 miles, 15 minutes
If you’re looking for a fairly lively place, you might like Banham, famous in Norfolk for its real ale and music pub The Banham Barrel, and Banham Zoo for great days out.
Families also love nearby Bressingham, with its fleet of narrow-gauge steam engines, gardens to explore and traditional fairground ‘Gallopers’.
The compact village is well-placed for road links; the A11 has recently been upgraded, making for easier journeys to the M11 and Newmarket. Properties include thatched cottages, barn conversions and larger farmhouses with land.